You definitely shouldn't have refunded her money! I mean, I know why you did. But the cake looked great...and I bet it tasted great too! At the very least, you should have only given her half back since they did eat it. What a rude lady!!
And as someone else said earlier, I would be busy if she ever asks you to bake another cake. You don't need her business!
I agree with everyone else. I think it looks great. What did the cake look like when she saw it first and liked it? That's so rude that people think they can get something for nothing, after all the hard work you put into it. If it ever happens again, i would agree that you should only give 50% refund, at most. I wouldn't even do that, though. She should have said something when you dropped it off.
I have a contract stating EXACTLY what they want, and we both sign it. Then when I deliver the cake, I have the last page of the contract, which says they accept the cake as it is, and I am not longer responsible for anything after delivery(ie: weather, someone bumping the table, etc..) I make them sign that before I go, that way they can't come back and say..oh well, you didn't do this or I didn't like that.
Keep your head up, and if she ever does call you back, I would tell her flat out. Say "You were embarrassed to serve my cake before, so I don't want to work with you again. I would hate to disappoint you again after you eat the whole cake. "
If she was too embarrassed to serve the cake then where the heck is the cake? Unfortunatly we live in a world where people have come to think they DESERVE something for nothing as long as they are skilled enough to skeem their way out of it!
I once had a yardsale where a woman purchased a glass bowl from me and on her way to the car she broke said bowl and screamed at her husband to go and get her money back! As if it were my fault she broke the damn thing!!! People will do some crazy things when money is involved.
Hang in there and chalk it up to a lesson learned. Your story has given some of us a chance to imagine ourselves in your shoes and given the responses from everyone here, now we will know just what to do if we were placed in a similar situation.
That is a very detailed cake and I think you did great! My theory is if this person is comfortable enough complaining after the cake had been eaten, then she must complain about everything. The people around her should know better and your name would not be ruined!
I just love the irony of the "Integrity" writing on the cake only to have a cheap customer "demand" a full refund for a cake that she probably devoured as soon as the promotion ceremony was over.
Having lived in a small military community, I understand that not only in your cake decorating reputation on the line, sadly so is your spouses' in the eyes of his/her fellow servicemembers. Sadly, I had to deal with 2 customers who claimed, "This isn't what I asked for!"...of course then I whip out the VERY detailed sketch that describes everything down to the cake boards and has their pretty little signature on the corner and say, "Oh! But it is"...no refund, thank you kindly!
People threatin' to "tell everyone what a horrible job you did"? Beat them to the punch, "I can't believe SGT So-andSo's wife! I made this cake she wanted and she refused to pay me!"...two can play that game, and I don't play fair.
how rude, I am sorry you had to deal with this. This was her problem, you didn't do anything wrong. If the cake had been so 'awful' she should have said something when it was delivered. It looked good to me, I think she was just looking for a freebie. Some people have no shame, don't let it get you down.
The military also teaches the wives to live their life with integrity as well as the soldier. I thought the cake was great and noy there were alot of words and the client should have specified the letters in fondant. Sorry for your otdeal but I know I have learned something from it. Cheer up!!.
I went and looked at the pic, it's lovely! This woman had no right, once the accepted receipt of the cake to demand a refund.
I definately would not deal with her again. Especially after it was good enough to feed everyone, then she wanted a refund!! This cake was a lot of work! Sorry for you that this person walked into your business!
The military also teaches the wives to live their life with integrity as well as the soldier. I thought the cake was great and noy there were alot of words and the client should have specified the letters in fondant. Sorry for your otdeal but I know I have learned something from it. Cheer up!!.
Really! Because I have lived on base and that's like going to high school. After awhile you learn to stay away from the other spouses because they are petty.
I would not have refunded them. She's going to talk bad about you no matter what. If your at Yokota it is a big base with tons of people. The commissary cakes taste like shortening. Haven't been there in a long time though, but they are all the same.
I do have to say one thing though...oh, the flames...your writing could use a little practice. I think that's what she is talking about. The overall cake is nice. I hate doing writing. Sometimes I do it in chocolate and then put it on top one it has cooled. Sorry!
Tita, I just luv you more and more! (and your birthday is my wedding anniversary! It will be 21 years this year!)
An awesome day indeed!! LOL! I always got the shaft on my b-day though Debi, school was out so I could never have a b-day party with my friends (still carrying baggage you think?)!
21 years! That's awesome! Me and DH are going to celebrate 10 in September. I'ma be like you when I grow up. I always told my DH I want to grow old and floppy with him...he told me I was crazy...I already am floppy 
The cake looks great and the design looked hard to pull off and you made it happen. FONDANT LETTERING???!!!! Are you kidding me? There is no way that would have fit on that cake.
She came...she saw...she liked...she should have paid...bottom line!!
Oh, and btw...I've seen cakes here on cc so much better than ace of cakes...he's so overrated...love him...but overrated.
I'm sorry you had to deal with witch!
You should recognise a trouble maker, no refund.She will bad mouth you anyway plus boast she got her money back.You should bad mouth her too and make it juicy so you win in the end.She is just trouble,do not take an order from her next time.
hehe overrated!! love that- i can't deal with bullies so please don't let that get around. i would have given the money just to be able to shut the door and that be the end of it too. but i really want to have the cakeballs to deal with it when the time comes because though i have lucked out so far i'm sure there is that one waiting out there for me (it happens to everyone right?!) it's a shame it happened-the cake was very nicely exicuted even though i think all that lettering was overkill (was it all necessary? -seemed a little cramed to me) but she accepted it when you picked it up-was she pissed cuz it wasn't ready when she was there the first time maybe and delayed her party somehow (even if she said i'll pick it up a this time?) i hate when they're early-why do i say i'll have it ready at 11am and you come at 9am and think it will be ready?!!? what a witch totally!!
Well, I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I delivered a cake on Tuesday (long story) it's the baby shower pick with the animals in my photos. Family Member. Paid me last night and when I asked how it tasted she said "Well, we were trying to figure out what flavor it was....it wasn't a regular vanilla cake was it? We thought you might have put almond flavor in it" So much for "refined tasted" I could tell they probably didn't like the taste. But when I ASKED what kind of cake they wanted? Oh just whatever you would like to do! So, I did a white cake with coffee creamer and IMPORTED VANILLA! So I just said "No, it's not a regular vanilla cake. It has IMPORTED VANILLA in it!" "Oh! Really?" UGH!
NO MORE CAKE FOR THEM! Oh yeah and this cake was $35 for a 14" and 8" that was 3" high. White chocolate and fondant accents. PUL-LEEZ!
Beth in KY
I'm guessing she's one of those women who thinks she's special just because her husband is high ranking. I can't STAND people like that!!
My guess is that whatever she says won't hurt you much. If she's that kind of person, then people have probably already started ignoring her when she goes on about being treated badly or whatever.
I'm guessing she's one of those women who thinks she's special just because her husband is high ranking. I can't STAND people like that!!
My guess is that whatever she says won't hurt you much. If she's that kind of person, then people have probably already started ignoring her when she goes on about being treated badly or whatever.
I love those women. The wives of general officers who wait for salutes, they really crack me up! Your husband wears the rank, not you so you don't have much comin' but a "thank you ma'am" and I'd give them to the wives of E1's too.
I wish somebody's wife would come and expect favortism or VIP treatment because of her husband's rank. She can take that somewhere else. If I can't behave like that (because I find that digusting), no one else can either. LOL!
This is so unfortunate. I can understand that this woman may have been surprised when she came over early and saw the cake and didn't like it. She probably didn't know what to say either, although she did mention that she'd expected fondant lettering. She may not have had her wits about her enough to say she didn't want to pay for the cake.
HOWEVER, she did have time to think about it between then and when you delivered it. She should have told you when she took delivery that she was not satisfied with the quality. At that point she could have:
1. taken delivery and paid for it
2. refused delivery and not paid for it (and you would have taken it home and fed it to your family)
3. told you she was not entirely satisfied with it and asked for a price adjustment
Those are the only honest options. It was dishonest of her to say to herself, "Well, I'm not crazy about this cake but I want a dessert to serve so I'll accept it and pay for it, then just go back and pitch a fit and get all my money back, and I"LL HAVE IT BOTH WAYS."
I'm so sorry she made you cry. A cake shouldn't make anybody cry. It's not world peace we're talking about, you know?! Forget about her and move on with your head up!
love those women. The wives of general officers who wait for salutes, they really crack me up! Your husband wears the rank, not you so you don't have much comin' but a "thank you ma'am" and I'd give them to the wives of E1's too
it made me laugh when I would go to the px and they would roll in the parking lot expecting to be saluted. My buddies would crack up because I would yell the 10th general order to them " To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased". No officers wife or non military members. There is a reason officers get that salute is because they have gone through all the vigorous training and earned the rank, it wasn't just handed to them. Some of those ladies need a serious reality check. They don't follow base rules but expect to have all of the glory. I got into it with the base sergeant majors wife and she called my unit bugging out at my chief warrant officer and he laughed at her and told me that some wives think they wear the same rank. Mho, if they want to rate they should go through bootcamp and then earn it. You have certain rights as a dependant but military personnel always comes before civilian, even when picking up prescriptions so that stuff is unnecessary.
OP, your cake was very beautiful and very well detailed, if she is badmouthing your business and smearing your name then you can go through your husbands chain of command and complain about it. Believe it or not military dependants have to abide by the same rules and if they don't abide the servicemen or woman will be dealt with accordingly. I could get more detailed but i'll get off my soapbox now. Sorry for ranting, it just gets on my nerves sometimes. Not all wives are like that but some need to get slapped with the mym stick (mind your manners) 
O.K. Let's not bash all of the Officer wives and the higher ranking military wives. There are a few that are pompous. Just there like there are a few lower ranking wives, middle class, lower class and upper class.
I was stationed over at Yokota and got into a major car accident. I was an A1C I think. The vice commander's wife took my mom and brought her around the base, took her shopping, had her over for dinner, and entertained her while I was in the hospital. After my mom went back home, she continued to contact my mom through letters. I got out of the hospital and she helped continue nursing me to health. One of the nicest ladies I had ever met.
Now I have met nasty and crazy people in the military, but they tend to be from all ranks and walks of people, not just the officer wives.
I am just wondering what she didn't like? Was it the lettering? The design? Or is she unused to fondant cakes where sometimes the facility removes the fondant and leaves nearly bare cake pieces? Was it the taste or the cake? Was it the taste of the fondant? I think I would want to know what it was she didn't like before a refund. It looked fine to me.
O.K. Let's not bash all of the Officer wives and the higher ranking military wives. There are a few that are pompous. Just there like there are a few lower ranking wives, middle class, lower class and upper class.
I was stationed over at Yokota and got into a major car accident. I was an A1C I think. The vice commander's wife took my mom and brought her around the base, took her shopping, had her over for dinner, and entertained her while I was in the hospital. After my mom went back home, she continued to contact my mom through letters. I got out of the hospital and she helped continue nursing me to health. One of the nicest ladies I had ever met.
Now I have met nasty and crazy people in the military, but they tend to be from all ranks and walks of people, not just the officer wives.
My DH is a senior enlisted soldier and it has been my experience from being a Air Force brat of senior enlisted airmen, to a civil service employee and a wife that I saw the most problems with senior enlisted and officers wives. You are completely right that there are crazies in every rank, but a senior NCO's wife doesn't ask to be saluted, only officers and I've seen it too many times for my liking. I'm just waiting for my DH to make E9 so I can get that parking spot right in front of the exchange and commissary! LOL! 
Now that's when you've arrived! LOL!
My DH is a senior enlisted soldier and it has been my experience from being a Air Force brat of senior enlisted airmen, to a civil service employee and a wife that I saw the most problems with senior enlisted and officers wives. You are completely right that there are crazies in every rank, but a senior NCO's wife doesn't ask to be saluted, only officers and I've seen it too many times for my liking. I'm just waiting for my DH to make E9 so I can get that parking spot right in front of the exchange and commissary! LOL!
Now that's when you've arrived! LOL!
Oh the parking spot....My friends husband is an E-9, she won't park in the parking spot. I yell at her every time we go there. She promises next time we will park there.
Ok...I know this is an old therad...and I'm not sure if your even on the site any more. (its my first day on the site)
I myself am in the military. I'm guessing this was this persons wife who treated you so poorly? Or at least family?
See Master Sargent is a pretty high rank. The higher a husbands (or wifes) rank becomes, the more "snooty" the spouse's attitude gets. The longer they have been in, and the "more important" their spouse is...the more they think every thing done for them must be perfect, and should be handed to them.
So, please dont take this personal, because it had nothing to do with you.
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